Does the Catholic Church put the death of Samson in the category of suicide?
score:5
Accepted answer
St. Thomas Aquinas gives this precise objection in his question on "Whether it is lawful to kill oneself?" (Summa Theologica II-II q. 64 a. 5 arg 4):
Samson killed himself, as related in Judges 16:30, and yet he is numbered among the saints (Heb. 11:32). Therefore it is lawful for a man to kill himself.
To which he replies (ibid. ad 4):
As Augustine says (De Civ. Dei i , 21*),
not even Samson is to be excused that he crushed himself together with his enemies under the ruins of the house, except the Holy Ghost, Who had wrought many wonders through him, had secretly commanded him to do this.
He assigns the same reason [De Civ. Dei i, 26**] in the case of certain holy women, who at the time of persecution took their own lives, and who are commemorated by the Church.
*"Of the Cases in Which We May Put Men to Death Without Incurring the Guilt of Murder"
**"That in Certain Peculiar Cases the Examples of the Saints are Not to Be Followed". He shows that if a soldier obeying his commander to kill does not commit murder, then a fortiori someone obeying God's command to kill himself does not murder himself.
More post
- 📝 Why doesn't God have to keep his own commandments such as "Do not murder"?
- 📝 Is the type of love shared between all heavenly members an affectionate brotherly love mentioned in the Bible? (Catholic perspective)
- 📝 According to Catholic scholars, why was Blessed Virgin Mary spared of temptations on her way to motherhood?
- 📝 Is a Roman Catholic ever permitted to take the Anglican Eucharist?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, how can a relic help a sick person?
- 📝 How Many Members of Joseph Smith's Council of Fifty Practiced Plural Marriage?
- 📝 Is there a link between Socinianism and Sir Isaac Newton's conclusion to his Principia Mathematica (1687) where he attacks the Trinity doctrine?
- 📝 Does New Testament accounting language have any Old Testament backing?
- 📝 What is the most important tradition in the Catholic Church?
- 📝 Which Protestant denominations support the position that Peter is the rock that Jesus builds his church upon?
- 📝 Within the Catholic Church, what are the main reasons given for the decline of Catholicism in the Netherlands?
- 📝 Did the Early Church believe in purgatory?
- 📝 How do Protestants in general respond to these points concerning them?
- 📝 Are Catholics married in a civil ceremony still permitted to receive communion?
- 📝 Did Pope Benedict XVI grant permission for heterosexual couples to use artificial birth control methods?
- 📝 Are the fallen angels already in hell?
- 📝 How widespread is panentheism within Protestant schools of thought?
- 📝 How to answer: "If God is omnipotent, can he create an object he cannot move?"
- 📝 Are foster children considered covenant children in Presbyterianism?
- 📝 Venial sin and James 1:15
- 📝 Is "Rapture" mentioned in the Book of Revelation?
- 📝 Does Pope Francis recommend giving communion under both kinds to the laity?
- 📝 What are some of the reasons why Catholics would feel more drawn to focus on pius devotions than the Psalms?
- 📝 Does a list of people mentioned in the bible who got saved exist?
- 📝 Have LDS missionaries stopped preaching door-to-door?
- 📝 Does Ecclesiastes give an example of a time to tear and a time to mend?
- 📝 What particular action that is in excess to God's Permissive Will did Satan commit in the Garden of Eden?
- 📝 Did Jesus teach separation of church and state?
- 📝 Where, exactly, were Christ's body and soul during the Descendit?
- 📝 What steps are involved in Catholic churches divorce investigation?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church put the death of Samson in the category of suicide?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church narrate the seal which was put on the tomb of Jesus?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church teach that the early death of Jesus on the Cross, had been ordained by God the Father?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church officially recognize Protestants as Christians?
- 📝 How does the Catholic church explain Matthew 19:9, which seems to allow divorce in case of sexual misconduct?
- 📝 Why does the LDS Church put an emphasis on prepping?
- 📝 What does the Catholic church teach about fate of non-Catholic christians?
- 📝 What does the Roman Catholic church teach about those who die having never heard of Christ?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church oppose universalism?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church reconcile evolution with original sin?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church teach there is only one person?
- 📝 Why does the Roman Catholic Church not hold to the perspicuity of Scripture?
- 📝 Where does the Catholic church procure most of its Bibles?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church understand the priesthood of all believers?
- 📝 What does Catholic Church say about the post-resurrection wound marks of Jesus?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church consider abortion to be murder?
- 📝 Why does the Roman Catholic Church consider beatification of the pope?
- 📝 Why does the LDS church (Mormon) put so much more emphasis on the family than most other denominations do?
- 📝 Does the Roman Catholic church recognize marriages outside of the church?
- 📝 What does the Catholic Church mean when it calls humans co-creators with God?
- 📝 How does the Catholic church view Freemasons?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church teach that it has the authority to change what is morally right and wrong?
- 📝 On what basis does the Catholic Church teach that women cannot be ordained?
- 📝 Does the Roman Catholic church consider HIPAA to be an unjust law?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church allow a professor in a Catholic university to support an idea which is seemingly contrary to Catholic teaching?
- 📝 Under what basis does the Catholic Church condemn the use of drugs while permitting alcohol?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church rank the cardinal virtues?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church officially claim that the Bible is insufficient without tradition?
- 📝 Why does the Catholic church not sanction the KJV translation?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church identify and collect relics?